by Sandra Murphy

Thread Herrings isn’t out until the end of October, so instead we are giving away a copy of the previous book in the series, Thread the Halls–details at the end of this post. A link to pre-order Thread Herrings from Amazon is at the end of this post as well, and from an indie bookstore where a portion of the sale goes to help support KRL.

Angie Curtis moved from toasty Arizona to Maine where five or six inches of snow doesn’t stop the town cold but acts as an excuse to bring out the snow plow for a quick run. Her grandmother has married the minister so now Angie has a house, kitten, and a needlepoint business, all a far cry from her previous PI job. Her best friend Sarah, owns the local antique shop and invites Angie to come along to an auction. Angie’s never been to one, so it’s a fun trip and a learning experience.

At the auction, Angie is intrigued by an embroidered coat of arms. It’s in really rough shape, might not even be salvageable, but she bids and wins the piece anyway. When she removes the frame to examine the stitchery, paper falls out. It’s the record of a baby left at the foundling home in London in the 1750s. Apparently, unlike most other babies, the baby’s family returned for him. Angie decides to investigate further.

Angie’s friend, Clem, is a television reporter and offers to feature Angie and the coat of arms in a short segment to see if viewers have thoughts on the mystery. Both are shocked to receive life-threatening messages following the show’s airing.

When Clem is found dead in her car, Angie is sure it’s related to the embroidery. In spite of precautions, attempts are made on Angie’s life. How could a tattered piece of cloth that’s over 250 years old have a bearing on today? Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, something new pops up.

Angie is a great character, calm in the face of what most people would consider disastrous situations. Patrick, her boyfriend, obviously cares for her but knows she has to be able to work things out on her own. Although this still qualifies as a cozy, it has touches of a thriller due to the fast pacing, increased threats, and added tension. Angie is working under unusual circumstances since the police confiscated her computer and Patrick’s is in the shop. She’s not able to go ask people questions in person but has to rely on her phone and research others have done for her.

As I’ve said before, Wait writes weather better than anyone I’ve read. Although it’s July in St Louis and the usual amount of hot and humid, winter’s chill came off the pages and made me wish for a toasty pair of mittens and a hot chocolate.

There are seven Mainely Needlepoint mysteries, eight Shadows Antique Print books, six books for kids age eight and up (and the adults who might read them to the kids), and under the pen name of Cordelia Kidd, a Maine Murder just out, titled Death and a Pot of Chowder. For a trip to Maine for the cost of a book, this is the author to read.

To enter to win a copy of Thread the Halls, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “halls,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen August 25, 2018. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address (so if you win we can get the book sent right out to you), and if via comment please include your email address. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters.

Use this link to pre-order Thread Herrings & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:

Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery #7)

You can also use this link to pre-order the book on Amazon. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She writes about eco-friendly topics, pets and wildlife for magazines and reviews mysteries and thrillers for KRL. A collection of her short stories, published by Untreed Reads, From Hay to Eternity: Ten Tales of Crime and Deception can be found at all the usual outlets. Each one is a little weird and all have a twist you won’t see coming.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases using those links. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.